Sports safety: What you need to know

To help parents, coaches, and players learn more about preventing sports injuries, we asked the folks at the Orthopedic Center at Boston Children’s Hospital for tips on concussion prevention, treatment, and more.
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Football running backs and linebackers suffer more injuries than other players. Most football injuries occur during running plays.Linemen are most likely to experience “turf toe,” a hyperextension of the big toe that happens when linemen push off at the start of a play.
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“Jersey finger” can happen when a player tries to tackle another player by grabbing his jersey and tears a tendon or ligament in the finger.Burners or stingers result when the nerves that run from the neck to the arm are compressed or overstretched, causing tingling or numbness.
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Gene J. Puskar/associated press

Every year, there are about 250,000 concussions reported at all levels of football. A concussion is a brain injury that occurs when a blow to the head causes rapid spinning and rotational accleration of the brain. Concussions vary in serverity, but every impact to the head is case for concern.
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Players with concussions may feel dizzy, heave headaches and vision problems and experience nausea or vomiting. Symptoms aren't always so obvious, so coaches, staff, and parents should pay close attention to a player for at least 24 hours after being hit in the head.
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Players who suffer one concussion have a far greater chance of sustaining another concussion. Over time, football players who have sustained several can experience memory loss and a decline in speaking and thinking abilities.
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Many leagues now require players to undergo baseline neurocognitive testing before the season. Players who test poorly for memory, reaction time as a result of previous head injury are not cleared to play. Those who are fit are advised to improve their ability to absorb a blow by engaging in exercises that strengthen neck, shoulder muscles. Shown: A pre-concussion baseline test.
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Stress fractures can occur in soccer players, particularly when they compete on hard surfaces, such as artificial turf. Wearing unsupportive or ill-fitting shoes, using incorrect playing techniques, training improperly, or training intensively after a sedentary period—like starting up in the fall after an inactive summer—can also lead to lower extremity stress fractures.
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Heading the ball looks dangerous, but it’s considered safe, provided players use proper technique. When heading, kids should keep their eyes open, be careful to avoid contact with other players when jumping to head the ball, and keep their mouths closed and their tongues away from their teeth. Heading drills are important for learning these techniques, but repetitive heading with heavier or waterlogged balls should be avoided.
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Goalies face significant risk of injury. Because they jump at balls in the air, dive at balls on the ground and play close to heavy, rigid goalposts, injuries to the head, hands and hips are common. Goalies are among the players at greatest riskof concussions, so extra attention should be paid to potential head injuries in these players by coaches, trainers and parents.
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Prolonged running, usually in cleats, can lead to overuse injuries such as muscle strains, shin splints, Achilles tendinitis and stress fractures. What’s more, many players participate year-round or play on more than one team in a season. Too much play and not enough time to rest and recover can lead to chronic injuries. Overuse problems can be more severe in younger, less physically mature soccer players (younger than 13 to15 years old).
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